Building a Course from Scratch: When Time is Not on Your Side – Faculty Focus

I recently found myself in a the all-too-familiar situation where I was handed a course at the last minute. The course consisted of a catalog description and course outcomes with no teaching materials. There was very little time to develop a student-ready course while also trying to manage my workload and protect my mental well-being. What steps can you take if you find yourself in a similar scenario? Focus on the non-negotiables: accessibility, effectiveness, and alignment with key learning outcomes by applying core principles of course design, including Universal Design for Learning, backward design, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

When facing rapid course creation, begin by setting your mindset regarding the expectations for developing a last-minute course. Even without the bells and whistles typically found in a fully designed course, a basic course can be accessible, inclusive, and high-quality. The goal is to create a student-ready course with appropriate content and assessments that align with the course learning outcomes and description. Aim for completion over perfection, prioritizing the non-negotiables.

Establish Your Course Framework and Weekly Structure

Most existing courses already have an approved catalog course description, a set number of credits, and established course outcomes. Based on this information, the first step is to identify any essential content and the timeframe, based on the number of weeks the course runs and the credit hours. Doing so will help ensure alignment with the expected student and faculty workload. Once this is established, you can begin the course design by building the course framework. The core of the framework is the syllabus. The syllabus should include your contact information, grading policies, course schedule, and course expectations. Then use the schedule to organize the required content into weekly modules.  

Stick to simple technology tools and avoid adding extras that could take time away from the non-negotiables. This includes curriculum creep. Focus only on the essential content that aligns with the course learning objectives. To save time, use a consistent structure for each weekly module, such as an overview or introduction, required reading and/or media, one active learning task, plus a low or medium-stakes formative assessment. Create a clear rubric for repeat assignments like discussions, reflection, or writing assignments. This will allow you to apply the same criteria across each module and reduce the time of making numerous rubrics.  

Apply Instructional Design Frameworks for Accessible, Inclusive Learning

The next step in the process of course design is to apply proven instructional design frameworks such as backward design, Universal Design for Learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. Utilizing backward design principles can help the instructor deliver a course with a clear vision of what students are expected to learn and achieve from each lesson, module, and the course overall (Stapleton-Corcoran, 2023). Universal Design for Learning is a “framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people” (Casebolt & Humphrey, 2023, p. 2). This includes accessibility features such as headers, alt text, and captions. Keep presentation slides simple by using a white background, dark font, and avoiding unnecessary images. Not only will this make the slides more accessible, but it will also reduce the time required to create them. Throughout the course remain flexible, allow students multiple ways to express their learning, including multimedia options, and provide various means of engagement and representation (CAST, n.d.). As a time-saving option, if weekly videos are not feasible, add weekly micro-lecture audio recordings throughout the course. These do not need to be added at the start of the course but can be introduced week by week. 

When developing the assessments, consider using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy framework consists of six major categories of cognitive processes: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied across disciplines and helps ensure that assessments and activities progress in complexity and rigor, supporting student learning step-by-step (Attia, 2021). Free online tools are available to help create assessments aligned with the desired level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

Efficiently Upload Your Course in the LMS

The final step is to upload the course into the learning management system such as Canvas or Blackboard. While it may be tempting to start building each module directly in the learning management system, doing so could lead to unnecessary revisions and time-consuming fixes. Instead, consider using backward course design to frame the entire course prior to uploading online. Once the framework is established using backward course design and the modules are formatted consistently, content can be uploaded efficiently by duplicating page templates for elements such as introductions, lectures or instructions, quizzes, and discussions. 

After the course has begun, track any necessary revisions and gather early student feedback, such as through a check-in during week two or three. If the opportunity arises to teach the course again, these insights will allow for continuous improvement towards an ideal version. If this is not possible, the course shell can be passed on to another faculty member, thereby benefiting future students. 

Reflecting on my experience of developing a course from scratch and minimal time I was reminded of the importance of focusing on the non-negotiables: accessibility, effectiveness, and alignment with key learning outcomes. By applying established course design frameworks of backward design, Universal Design for Learning, and Bloom’s Taxonomy, I was able to deliver a high-quality, student-ready course, despite the limited time available. If you find yourself in a similar situation or looking to refine an existing course, focusing on these core principles ensures that the course is not only functional but also effective in supporting student success. The lesson here is clear: even in the face of urgency, thoughtful course design can help you meet both immediate needs and long-term educational goals. 

Kristen Pornter-Lauerman, MDA, RDH, is a doctoral student at the University of the Pacific in Health Science Education. She currently serves as a Program Director in Dental Hygiene, With a background in healthcare administration and dental hygiene, Kristen is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation within dental education. 

Dr. Julia VanderMolen, CHES® is an Associate Professor for the Public Health program at Grand Valley State University. The contributions of her research are to examine the benefits of assistive technology, UD and UDL, and disabilities in public health. She is an active member of the Disability section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). 

References 

Attia, A. S. (2021). Bloom’s taxonomy as a tool to optimize course learning outcomes and assessments in architecture programs. Journal of Applied Science and Engineering, 24(3), 315-322. 

Casebolt, T., & Humphrey, K. (2023). Use of universal design for learning principles in a public health course. Annals of Global Health, 89(1), 48. 

CAST. (n.d.). UDL guidelines. Retrieved June 15, 2025, from

Stapleton-Corcoran, E. (2023). Backwards design. Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Retrieved June 15, 2025, from